Cancer Claims over Processed Meat

New research published in the British Journal of Cancer says that eating too much processed meat may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.

The study, funded by the Swedish Cancer Foundation and Karolinska Institutet, found that for each 50 grams of processed meat eaten every day, there was a 19 per cent rise in the risk of pancreatic cancer compared to those, who ate no meat.

However, the research has been countered by the British Pig Executive, who said: "There is no evidence that a moderate intake of lean red meat, when consumed as part of a healthy balanced diet, has any negative health effects.

"It is over-simplistic and misleading to link a single food or category of food to a specific disease such as cancer. Cancer like other chronic diseases is multi-factorial and a wide range of diet and lifestyle factors are thought to contribute."

In Germany, the company at the centre of the scandal over dioxin-contaminated animal feed has filed for bankruptcy. It is facing criminal investigations and could face civil claims from farms which have been forced to close.

Harles and Jentzsch, the company accused of supplying dioxin-contaminated fat to the animal-feed industry in Germany, filed in court for insolvency last week.

On the global markets, US pork exports set another monthly volume record in November, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF), which helped offset record-high production and provide a significant boost to pork cutout values.

November beef exports also performed well, reaching 105,268 metric tons valued at $456.25 million.

New Zealand (NZ) beef exports in 2011 were down by nine per cent year-on-year, at 330,999 tonnes, the lowest calendar year total since 2002 according to the NZ Meat Board.

The drop is believed to have been largely driven by an estimated six per cent dip in production and the strength and volatility of the New Zealand dollar throughout the year.